Installed 2.85" Stealth Pulley & No Difference in Performance?

Ostrichsak · Apr 30, 2014

I keep reading how people say they felt a big difference from this modification so needless to say I was a bit disappointed when I installed this pulley and felt no difference in performance. I even double checked to make sure I didn't re-install the factory one by mistake in the confusion of installing on a clock. I'm wondering if my belt is indeed slipping. I inspected the belt (factory belt with less than 30k miles) before putting it back on and it looked fine based on decades of working on my own vehicles. What would the symptoms be and how can I test this? I know that my boost pressure would be lower but short of installing a boost gauge I have no way to monitor this since the factory sensors don't appear to include a pressure sensor I can monitor via an OBDII app/adapter.

Thoughts?

Torspd · Apr 30, 2014

No OEM pressure sensors. Definitely need a boost gauge to tell. Don't have to keep it installed if you don't want to.

Belt slip can play a part but so can AFR's and altitude.

Ostrichsak · May 5, 2014

Torspd said:
No OEM pressure sensors. Definitely need a boost gauge to tell. Don't have to keep it installed if you don't want to.

Belt slip can play a part but so can AFR's and altitude.

I'll have to look back into adding a boost gauge as I back burnered that mod.

I'm also going to replace the belt with something other than OEM with miles on it to see if that makes a difference. Elevation here (6,000ft give or take) sucks and is always working against me and I understand the power loss but regardless of that I shouldn't have felt some difference, even if it was 25% less difference than someone at sea-level would feel.

Torspd · May 5, 2014

Truck just needs bigger lungs.

darthyota · May 5, 2014

your elevation is a big part of why you don't notice a difference

Ostrichsak · May 5, 2014

darthyota said:
your elevation is a big part of why you don't notice a difference

I disagree. I've been modifying forced induction vehicles for a couple of decades now at high elevation. I have an idea what this modification should have felt like and my ideas aren't inflated due to plenty of first-hand experience.

rennurx · May 5, 2014

I have a boost and a/f gauge for sale!!

Ostrichsak · May 5, 2014

rennurx said:
I have a boost and a/f gauge for sale!!

Thanks but the gauges I was looking at were closer to stock looking.

TRON · May 5, 2014

Ostrichsak said:
I disagree. I've been modifying forced induction vehicles for a couple of decades now at high elevation. I have an idea what this modification should have felt like and my ideas aren't inflated due to plenty of first-hand experience.

I agree with you, the difference in 3.0 to 2.85 was hardly noticeable. Once I installed the nst kit and then the 2.7... Those upgrades were absolutely noticeable. I'm at 5500 ft:top:

silenT651 · May 5, 2014

the 2.8 and nst is a big difference for me. the 2.7 alone is similar to my setup. i could only imagine how nice the 2.7 and nst would be

darthyota · May 5, 2014

silenT651 said:
the 2.8 and nst is a big difference for me. the 2.7 alone is similar to my setup. i could only imagine how nice the 2.7 and nst would be

Makes more heat then power

TRON · May 5, 2014

darthyota said:
Makes more heat then power

No no... I assure you it makes more power... I may even swap for the 2.55 and keep the rev limiter at 5500. Meth injection can cool things down

darthyota · May 6, 2014

i wasn't saying it wouldn't make more power, but that it makes more heat then what you get for gains compared to a 2.7 or a 2.6 pulley the little trd m90 gets real hot when you start spinning it that fast. yes i know you can use meth to cool it but what happens when you run out of meth and you don't realize it?

Ostrichsak · May 6, 2014

darthyota said:
i wasn't saying it wouldn't make more power, but that it makes more heat then what you get for gains compared to a 2.7 or a 2.6 pulley the little trd m90 gets real hot when you start spinning it that fast. yes i know you can use meth to cool it but what happens when you run out of meth and you don't realize it?

Plenty of options to assure you don't run out of alky. It's been done in high HP applications for many years now and it's more trustworthy than you make it seem.

darthyota · May 6, 2014

I know Meth has been used for a long time since ww2 in aircraft so I know it can be reliable, but my best friend was running a fairly aggressive tune on his cobalt pushing 23lbs of boost he ran out of Meth without knowing it and popped his motor so its not like its outside the realm of possibility

Ostrichsak · May 6, 2014

darthyota said:
I know Meth has been used for a long time since ww2 in aircraft so I know it can be reliable, but my best friend was running a fairly aggressive tune on his cobalt pushing 23lbs of boost he ran out of Meth without knowing it and popped his motor so its not like its outside the realm of possibility

Yes, never underestimate the power of stupidity and limited knowledge of engines. The point is I've heard of people blowing up lots of engine in lots of ways and the common denominator is stupidity. I promise you your buddy coulda done several things well in advance to prevent what happened. Saying he 'didn't know' isn't an unavoidable issue.

memario1214 · May 7, 2014

On the boost gauge at 5500 feet back home I went from a solid 4 lbs to just barely touching 6 at the top of the RPM band when I changed pulleys. You likely got the boost in power (1.5 psi maybe), but I didn't feel anything major myself. I did notice a little difference though. That being said I now live at 1500 feet and the truck rips at WOT.

TRON · May 7, 2014

memario1214 said:
On the boost gauge at 5500 feet back home I went from a solid 4 lbs to just barely touching 6 at the top of the RPM band when I changed pulleys. You likely got the boost in power (1.5 psi maybe), but I didn't feel anything major myself. I did notice a little difference though. That being said I now live at 1500 feet and the truck rips at WOT.

What's your boost at 1500 ft?

Gearbound · May 8, 2014

TRON said:
I agree with you, the difference in 3.0 to 2.85 was hardly noticeable. Once I installed the nst kit and then the 2.7... Those upgrades were absolutely noticeable. I'm at 5500 ft:top:

NST kit? hmmmmm time to google:smile:

darthyota · May 8, 2014

Gearbound said:
NST kit? hmmmmm time to google:smile:

Over drive crank pulley set

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